Human Error (House)

"Human Error" is the twenty-fourth episode and season finale of the third season of House and the seventieth episode overall.

Plot

A Cuban couple travels to the United States after much difficulty, almost drowning in the ocean, to see House. Esteban, the husband, hopes that House can save his wife Marina. Back in New Jersey, Foreman is days away from officially quitting. Wilson points out that House should try to convince Foreman to stay and knows that House is not good with change, and is still playing the same guitar he has had since eighth grade, that he drives a ten-year-old car, and that he has been living in the same apartment for 15 years.

House dismisses Chase's belief that Marina has an infection and House, along with Foreman, believes that it is cancer. Chase is angry that House is going along with whatever Foreman says (accusing House of a sloppy ploy to get Foreman to stay) and later confronts House in his office. Before he can say anything, House fires him. Despite disapproval from Cuddy, Wilson, Foreman, and Cameron, House refuses to reverse his decision.

Definition

Human error means that something has been done that was "not intended by the actor; not desired by a set of rules or an external observer; or that led the task or system outside its acceptable limits". In short, it is a deviation from intention, expectation or desirability. Logically, human actions can fail to achieve their goal in two different ways: the actions can go as planned, but the plan can be inadequate (leading to mistakes); or, the plan can be satisfactory, but the performance can be deficient (leading to slips and lapses). However, a mere failure is not an error if there had been no plan to accomplish something in particular.